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Structure of the Earth

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5 views

Structure of the Earth

Uploaded by

fayaz276045
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Structure of the Earth

• The structure of the earth is divided into four major components: the
crust, the mantle, the outer core, and the inner core. Each layer has a
unique chemical composition, physical state, and can impact life on
Earth's surface. Movement in the mantle caused by variations in heat
from the core, cause the plates to shift, which can cause earthquakes
and volcanic eruptions. These natural hazards then change our
landscape, and in some cases, threaten lives and property
• Between the Earth's crust and the mantle is a boundary called
the moho boundary
• it is defined by the discontinuous changes in the velocity of
seismological waves as they pass through the densities of rock. The
moho lies almost entirely within the lithosphere.
crust

• Earth’s crust is like the shell of a hard-boiled egg. It is extremely thin,


cold and brittle compared to what lies below it. The crust is made of
relatively light elements, especially silica, aluminum and oxygen. It’s
also highly variable in its thickness. Under the oceans (and Hawaiian
Islands), it may be as little as 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) thick. Beneath
the continents, the crust may be 30 to 70 kilometers (18.6 to 43.5
miles) thick.
crust
• Along with the upper zone of the mantle, the crust is broken into big
pieces, like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle. These are known as tectonic
plates. These move slowly — at just 3 to 5 centimeters (1.2 to 2
inches) per year. What drives the motion of tectonic plates is still not
fully understood. It may be related to heat-driven convection currents
in the mantle below.
Mantle
• The mantle is the layer of the Earth right below the crust. It is made
mostly of oxygen, silicon and the heavier element magnesium. It is
known as sima (Si for silicon + ma for magnesium) or mafic. The
mantle itself is divided into layers.
• Indeed, it forms a layer of partially melted rock known as the
asthenosphere (As-THEEN-oh-sfeer). Geologists believe this
weak, hot, slippery part of the mantle is what Earth’s tectonic
plates ride upon and slide across.
• Diamonds are tiny pieces of the mantle we can actually touch.
Most form at depths above 200 kilometers (124 miles). But rare
“super-deep” diamonds may have formed as far down as 700
kilometers (435 miles) below the surface. These crystals are
then brought to the surface in volcanic rock known as
kimberlite.
core
• The Earth's core is made of solid iron and nickel, and is at about 5000–
6000 °C. which is about the temperature of the photosphere of the Sun.
The outer core
• This part of the core is also made from iron and nickel, just in liquid
form. It sits some 5,180 to 2,880 kilometers (3,220 to 1,790 miles)
below the surface.
• Heated largely by the radioactive decay of the elements uranium and
thorium, this liquid churns in huge, turbulent currents. That motion
generates electrical currents. They, in turn, generate Earth’s magnetic
field.
• For reasons somehow related to the outer core, Earth’s magnetic field
reverses about every 200,000 to 300,000 years. Scientists are still
working to understand how that happens.
The inner core
• This solid metal ball has a radius of 1,220 kilometers
• Extremely dense, it’s made mostly of iron and nickel.
• It’s also intensely hot: Temperatures sizzle at 5,400° Celsius (9,800°
Fahrenheit). That’s almost as hot as the surface of the sun.
• Pressures here are immense: well over 3 million times greater than on
Earth’s surface. Some research suggests there may also be an inner,
inner core. It would likely consist almost entirely of iron.

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